O'Driscoll back for Connacht clash

Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll has handed Leinster a fitness boost ahead of their Magners League clash with Connacht by recovering from a knee injury for a place in the starting XV.

With Leinster's Heineken Cup semi-final fast approaching, O'Driscoll has been passed fit enough to line up in the centre alongside Eoin O'Malley, but fellow Ireland RBS 6 Nations stars Jonathan Sexton and Rob Kearney are still ruled out with jaw and ankle injuries respectively.

Shane Jennings captains the side which sees CJ van der Linde start in the front row alongside Stan Wright and Richardt Strauss, making his first start for the province.

Regular skipper Leo Cullen and his fellow Ireland internationals Cian Healy and Jamie Heaslip have been named on a strong looking replacements bench.

Wednesday night's game is the rearranged fixture from the postponement at the start of the year and Leinster, who are top of the Magners League by seven points, face a busy week as they travel to Glasgow just three days later.

"There are still important league points to play for, so given the closely fought nature of these interpro' matches, that just serves to sharpen our instincts for what will be a tough match," said Leinster coach Michael Cheika.

"Connacht are one of the most improved teams in the Magners League this year and they are in a strong position to win the Amlin Challenge Cup.

"They are also on the verge of qualifying for the Heineken Cup outright, so we're under no illusion as to what kind of challenge we face."